Washing-machine.



RPS. ORR. WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED was], 1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

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R. S. ORR.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1911.

1,Q22,641 Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I 4 17 3 4 4. 21a INVENTOR 5N1? iii wasnms-maonrnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application filedflughst 7; 1911. Serial No. 642,629.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. ORR, a resident of Pittsburgh,in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Washing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of awashing machine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line II-H of Fig. 1. Fig; 3' is a detail view of a portion of one of the perforated bulk head plates. Fig. 4; is a detail view showing the motor reversing gearing. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the control valve.

My invention has relation to washingmachines; and is designed to'prov-ide a motor operated machine having means of noveland effective character for forcibly passing the water through the clothes to be washed; These means are preferably soarranged'tha't substantially the entire body of water contained in the washing machine will be forced through the clothes in'one direction for a desired interval of time and then the action will be'reversed' and the same body 0% water will be forced through the clothes for anh other interval, these operations bein reunderstood by peat'ed as long: as may be necessary,

The nature of my invention will bebe'st reference to the aobompanying drawings, in which I have shown the preferred embodiment thereof, it being premised, however, that various changes can be made in the details of" construction andarrangement of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, as defined in'the appended claims. In these drawings,

ing a sheet metal lining 3" andsheet metal bottom 4, and'whi'c'h is mounted on any suitable support, such as that indicated at 5.

Placed within the tank or receptacle 2'is another receptacle 6, which is preferably sufiichamber the tank or receptacle 6 is provided with'a late or bulk head 8 extending across the fu 1' width and height of the chamber and having a p lu' rality of relatively small perforations 9 therein. At the central portion of the tank the numeral Q'd'eSignates' a tank'- or receptacle which'is' showniashav- I are two separated: similar partition plates or bulk heads 8,-forming-the space or chamber S betWeen them. The tanks or receptacles 2 and 6 may be tightly closed by a removable cover 11 having a suitable securing or clamping means, such as the clamping'bar shown at 12. 1 13 designates a centrifugal pump of any suitable character having an inlet 14 opening into the water space-15 below the bottom of the inner tank 6, and having an outlet pipe 16 leading upwardly therefrom to a short pipe section 17 having a branch 17 extending into each end portion of the inner tank. The ends of these branches 17 terminate within the inner tank between the perforated plates or bulkheads 8 and the adjacent end walls. Another pipe 1'? leads from the, pump into the space 8 between the partitions 8. The circulation of the pump is controlled by a rotary valve 18 (shown in detail in Fig. 5) and which. is

laced ina chamber at the junction of pipes 16, 17 17 and 20. In one position of this valve (shown in Figs. 1 and 5) the'discharge from the pump passes through the valve and into both i is discharged there-from into hot end portions oft-he tank 6. The water is thus forcibly ejected into the clothes containing compartments at each side of the partitions 8 and through the clothes therein. It then passes into the spae 8 and back through the pipe 17 to and I into the water chamber 15 through the pipe 20. In the other position of the valve, the

water is forced by the pump through the pipe 17, from which' it is discharged into the space 8" and'thenoethrough the partitions 8 and through; the clothes, returning the pipes 17 and 17? to the valvech'amber and thence through pipe 20 to chamber 15.

For the purpose of driving the pump 13,

I preferab provide an electric motor 21-,

having its; armature shaft directly connected to the rotary element of the pump, as shown at 21 iniFigs. 1 and 2.

ln-order to automatically reverse the valve 18 various connections to be operated by the motor may be employed. A simple means for this purpose 18 illustrated in the drawbranches 1-7 of the pi e 17, and

through the valve and v through ings as consisting of a worm wheel 22' mounted on the drivin shaft 2l 'and en worm whee 23, mounted on agaging the shaft '24. This shaft 24 has fixed thereto a cam 25 which contacts with a roller 26 on one arm of a. pivoted lever 27. The other arm of this lever carries. a toothed segment a 28, whose teeth engage with the teeth of a .gear Wheel 29 loosely mounted on the shaft 1 or stem 30 of the movable valve member.

lever 27 simply causes the gear wheel 29 to,

run idly on the shaft 30 without moving the valve. The valve is then reversed by an intermittent rotary movement in one di rection. By proper' arrangement of the gearing, the valve may be reversed at the desired intervals. During the periods between reversal, the wateris' being forced continuously through the clothes; and at each reversal the flow of the water is changed in each clothes-containing com- This forcing of 'the water'- partment. through the clothes in alternate directions is extremely effective in loosening and removing the dirt from the clothes.

The combined area of ,the holes in the I plates or bulk heads 8 should be equal to the combined cross-sectional area of the pipes 17 and'the combined area of the holes in the plates or bulk-heads 8 should be equal to thatof the holes in, 8 and the intervals between successive reversals of the valve are preferably at least long enough to cause all the water in the washing machine to. be forced through the clothes.

Sufficient water should be placed in the ma-' chine to entirely fill the clothes compartments and to keept-he level of water in the water chamber 15 above the pump inlet 14:.

It will be obvious that various changes can be made in the construction and ar' rangement of the parts. Thus the construction and arrangement of the inner and outer tanks may be varied; any suitable form of pump and driving motor therefor can be employed;'dilferent means from those described, actuated by the pump driving motor, may be used to effect the periodical -reversal of the valve, and various other changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Features ofthe machine herein shown and described, but not claimed herein, are

claimed in a companion application Serial No. 641,160, filed July 18, 1911.

'I claim: i

1. In a washing machine, a clothes congear tomatically actuating the valve;

taining vessel having a water discharge compartment at each end, an intermediate compartment, a pump having a separate passage connecting it with each of the three compartments, asource of water supply for the pump, and valve means for reversing the circulation of the pump; whereby in one position of the valve, water will flow 'into the clothes-containing vessel through each of the end compartments and flow out through the intermediate compartment; and in the other position of the valve, wa-

ter will flow into the clothes vessel from the intermediate compartment and will flow out from both end compartments substantially as described.

2. In a washing machine, a clothes containing vessel having a water discharge compartment at each end, an intermediate compartment, a pump having a separate passage connecting it with each of the three compartments, a source of water supply for the pump, and valve means operated periodically by a motor for reversing the circulation of the pump; whereby in one position of the valve, water will flow into .the' clothes-containing vessel through each of the end compartments and flow out through the intermediatecompartment-; and in the other position of the valve, water will flow into the clothes vessel from the intermediate compartment and will flow out a from both end compartments substantially as described.

3. In a washing machine, a clothes containing vessel, having a perforated plate or bulk head at each end portion thereof, and also having two similar separated plates or bulk heads at'its central portion, a pump,

a motor for driving the pump, connections leading from the pump to opposite ends of the vessel and another connection leading to the space bet-ween the central plates, a

valve for controlling and reversing the circulation through said connections, wherebv in one position of the valve, water will'flow,

into the clothes-containing vessel through each of the end compartments and flow out through the intermediate compartment; and

in the other position of the valve,'water will flow into the clothes vessel from the intermediate compartment and will flow out from both end compartments and means for ansubstantially as described.-

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto v set my hand. I

' ROBERT s. one.

Witnesses: I I

W. G. STERN, J. L. GEARY. 

